Hearts, Spells & Passion Ch. 09-13

9 -- Trial by mob

Rennia was strung up in full view of the village square in Kibblestadt. A horrendously thick rope held her up. Her hands were tied together with a shorter string, her feet bound. Even her toes were tied together. Her mouth was gagged. What wasn't touched, however, was her cock, which hung in its shortened form, twitching slightly in the cold.

The air was sharp. The full moon had come to watch her trial by mob justice unfold. Two very different crowds were forming--civilians and wandering travelers on one side, guards and adventurers on the other. She was framed in the center, a public spectacle.

Oh god, what am I going to do?

Nothing, of course. She was at their mercy.

The villagers circled. A clergyman stood at the front, holding a book in one hand and a whip in the other. Beside him was the village governor, Lord Baldeus.

The clergyman pointed at her. "This... deviancy... is unnatural. It does not belong in our kingdom, in our nation-state."

Agreement rippled through the crowd. Nods. Murmurs. Faint grunts.

He threw the whip at her.

THWIP!

Then pulled it back, just before it hit. She flinched. But she couldn't move at all.

"Priest Galvern, please stop this madness. Whatever ails her is the result of some accident. We should not make assumptions without a proper investigation," Baldeus said, sweat glistening on his brow. She didn't care much for the man. She didn't understand why he cared for her. But her mother was close to that corrupt cunt. It rubbed her the wrong way to see him defending her.

"That's right!" Saelyn shouted, her elven ears twitching. She shrank back as everyone turned to look at her. Then she tried to disappear behind a clearly pissed-off Captain Ysara.

Ysara stepped forward. "I hate to say it, but yes, futanarism is a completely natural and magical phenomenon. We are not the Inquisition. Who are we to judge her?"

"Wrong. It's a sign of infernal influence. The seedling remnants of the dead Devil Queen. We will not tolerate it in this town," the clergyman snapped.

A villager pointed at Captain Ysara. "Lady, she came on your face. That's pure fucking evil."

Ysara bared her teeth and rattled her saber. "If you don't shut the fuck up--"

A fellow guardsman held her back.

Lyanna stepped forward. Shivering. Shaking. She looked pale--so pale, sickly even. Rennia couldn't help but feel bad for her. None of this would've happened if she'd just--

"It was an apple! A black apple, An eve's apple," Lyanna cried out. "We ate from the orchard while collecting. It was a job. That's all. She had a weird reaction. I ate it too. But it wasn't some evil thing. I think we all need to calm down."

Another villager shouted, "She went with her! I saw it. What if she has one too? String her up butt naked!"

The villagers roared. The square lit up with madness.

Rennia's eyes flared with confusion. Then she felt it--crack--a whip lashed her ass. Her cock flopped awkwardly as the pain shot through her. The crowd gasped. Someone snorted. Then laughter.

Another lash.

Her cock wiggled again. It started to rise. Some fucked-up part of her was aroused by it. Out of place. Unwanted. But her body didn't care.

They were laughing at her.

Lyanna trembled, gripping her staff. Ysara held her back, whispering something. "She's not a monster. Let her go!" Lyanna screamed.

A few guards dragged Lyanna behind the crowd, out of sight.

Rennia was alone.

Saelyn came closer. She raised her hand, signaling something. A sign. She was leaving. Going to get someone. She'd be quick. The elf darted off, blitzing through the crowd. Her eyes lingered, and her head did turn, locked on Rennia's cock.

The clergyman stepped forward again. "This cannot be allowed to spread. Send her away or exile her."

Baldeus shoved the man. "Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. You don't know what you're doing."

Screams echoed from the distance. Rennia's blood was boiling. The pain didn't even register anymore. She knew that scream. It was Lyanna's.

Maybe none of this would've happened if she hadn't chased after Eldric.

Tears slipped down her face. She stared at the moon.

This wasn't how she wanted to end her day. Or her life.

The cobblestones trembled. The crowd grew quiet. Guards shifted on their feet. Something was coming.

A woman stood at the edge of town.

Tall. Armored. Holding a shield bearing the old dragon crest. Rennia recognized it instantly. It had hung in their living room. A relic of a war long past.

Her mother stood there, slamming her sword against the shield. Once. Twice.

A warning.

The crowd parted.

Whispers flew.

"Shieldmaiden."

"Heroine."

"Devilsbane."

Rennia didn't understand a fucking thing. Just that her mother had been an adventurer once, in a diffrent lifetime.

Ysara stepped up, blocking the path. Her hands trembled. Guards followed, but half had already sheathed their weapons, turning away.

Her mother walked past them, silent. She stopped in front of Baldeus.

"That's enough. I want my daughter down."

"B-but Lady Ilna... the village rules dictate--"

"Now. Or this whole village will know what you do in the baron's barns. You didn't stammer when you were fucked--"

"Stop!" Baldeus shouted. "Unhand her. Straight away."

Gasps. Glares. Nothing said. But everything understood.

Her mother pointed at the clergyman. "I want this one in jail for the night. And that whip used on him."

The clergyman bolted down the street. He didn't dare question her authority or notoriety, but the guards didn't chase.

"Lady Ilna, I mean no offense, but rules exist for a reason," someone muttered.

"And innocence comes before guilt," her mother snapped. "Unhand my daughter. Or I will lose it."

Ysara protested. She wanted a fair trial, not a mob spectacle. But her hands were tied--between appeasing the religious, the guilds, the law.

The ropes were cut.

Rennia fell. Ysara caught her.

Someone threw a thick cloak over her body. She didn't cry. She couldn't. She was hollow.

"Come, Rennie. You can walk, can't you?"

She nodded and stood, following her mother through the dark. Her mother didn't speak. Her face was a frown carved from stone. She'd taken up the shield again. That wasn't normal, she hated everything about fighting.

So much had happened. So much will.

But she knew better than to speak. She just kept walking.

When she got home, she was going to cry.

And cry.

And cry.

10-- All Birds, no bees here.

Change Vote

Rennia's head hurt, and her throat was hoarse. She'd had a hell of a night, probably caught a flu out there in the orchard. There were little treant monsters, and delicious golden apples, and Lyanna--Lyanna...

Oh no.

She struggled to open her eyes. She blinked hard. Coughed. Something thick came loose in her throat, a clot of slime. She was in her bed. She didn't remember getting to her bed.

Oh.

And--how could she have forgotten? How could she have forgotten the bullshit, the pain and misery she went through? How could she forget any of it?

She closed her eyes. Tried to center herself. Something was wrong with her class.

Main class: [Pathfinder Level 1]

Unique subclass: [Maiden of Eros Level 1]

"What the fuck!"

Her class was gutted. Gone with the wind. She didn't wait to question it. She wasn't a [Hayseed Jack] anymore, she could feel it in her bones. But... her levels! She had just leveled up. Wait. Worse news was coming.

Rennia sprang out of bed and rushed to the mirror. Something was off. Her tits looked different. Slightly bigger, just enough to throw her proportions off. Her hips too--wider, heavier, more pronounced. She rubbed her ass, still sore from the whipping she'd taken.

She swallowed and stripped. Her panties slid off her ass. There it was. Almost tucked in, small, but stiff enough to bounce and wiggle.

A cock. She had a cock. And it was likely permanent.

Her hand covered her face. She'd have to live with this. This fucked curse. Her fingers slid down past it, brushing the familiar wet heat between her legs. Her pussy was still there. Her baby-maker. Her fuckhole. Still intact. There might be hope. But she needed to get rid of this curse sooner rather than later.

There was noise downstairs. The sun was barely above the horizon, pale blue and lavender hues soaking the rooftops of Kibblestadt. She peeked out the window--no villagers, but a retinue of guards stood posted near her home.

One of them turned, caught her gaze, then turned back as if she didn't exist.

She closed the curtain and dressed. Walked to her door. Froze.

Someone was moving around outside. Boxes shifting. Bags. Something heavy being dragged. Her gut sank. She didn't want to deal with her mother. But she had to. She had to explain herself.

"Rennia!" her mother called out. "Renny! I know you're awake. Get in here now!"

Her voice--stern, too sharp for this early in the morning. It had been years since Rennia had been yelled at like this. She was too old for scolding. Her mom sounded... distressed. And she didn't know how to deal with it.

Rennia opened the door. Her stomach dropped.

Boxes. Stacked high. Kitchenware. Personal items. Her mother wasn't even looking at her. Just folding, packing, organizing with brutal efficiency.

"Mom... what the fuck are you doing?"

Ilna Perillion smiled. Not kindly. Not warmly. It was the smile of someone who had already made peace with doing something awful.

"Packing. We can't stay here. They'll be here soon."

Rennia felt like tearing her hair out. "They? Who the fuck are they?"

"Language, Renny!" her mother snapped. Rennia flinched. Just because the world had flipped didn't mean she got a free pass to act feral.

"Listen. We need to leave. We can't stay anymore."

"But... we can't just go. I have friends. People here know me. I have obligations at the guild. I--"

Her mother cut her off. "Shut up, Rennia, and listen. Your little friend is being sent away. And rightfully so. The Inquisition will be on her like fleas. Best you say your goodbyes."

"What? Why? She didn't do anything wrong. Who's sending her away? Who--"

"Because you fucked her, Rennia. Fucked her raw and silly. Her parents are shipping her off. Who else?"

"I... I didn't--"

"Everyone knows. Edric ran screaming into town, telling the whole story. I always knew you and your friend did little things when I wasn't looking. But this? I never imagined it'd be like this. Not this early. Still... I don't blame you."

Rennia grabbed something from a nearby box and hurled it across the room.

"Who the fuck are you? You don't talk like my mother."

Ilna Perillion looked sternly at Rennia, almost angered. It frightened her.

"I told you to calm down!"

Ilna stood up, stepped forward, and slapped her across the face. Hard. Rennia flew back, crashing to the floor. Her mother's strength was monstrous. She was a former adventurer, after all--not that Rennia knew she was that powerful.

Rennia cupped her cheek. Tears welled up.

"Renny. I need you to act like an adult. Just this once."

Ilna sighed.

"See, here's the thing. I'm not your mother."

The words hit like a hammer to the temple. Her world cracked. Her mother... wasn't her mother? What kind of fucked-up joke--

"Let's get to the point before you lose your mind. The world doesn't care who you love. It cares what you are. Lyanna is as good as dead to you now."

Rennia's brain jumped to the Eve's apple. The cursed thing she thought had done this. It didn't add up.

"It wasn't the Eve's apple, was it?"

Her mother froze, then winced.

"No. It wasn't the apple. It just... accelerated what was already coming."

Rage flared in Rennia's stomach. "Then what the fuck did this to me?! Why now? Why like this?"

"Do you even remember your father?"

Rennia's eyes drifted back through time. Memories half-formed. Blurry men. None stood out. She shook her head.

"No. Why?"

"That wasn't your father. That was my brother. Your uncle."

Rennia reeled. The implications hit her like poison in her blood. Some freak genetic thing? Maybe. But that still didn't explain why a cock had just sprouted like a damn branch out of nowhere.

"Wait. What the fuck are you saying?"

"Don't jump to conclusions."

Her heart pounded. It wasn't over. There was more.

"Because I'm not your mother, Rennia. Not biologically. I didn't bear you. Or your sisters."

Rennia dropped to her knees. Trembling. Her world had turned inside-out. Ilna turned away, hands resting on her thighs.

Something shifted beneath her skirt.

Rennia choked.

She saw it. Clear as day.

"What... what are you?"

"A monster who tried to be a mother--I guess I still am. But your real mother died a long time ago. You'll never see her again. Do you remember the woman with the big belly? The one you'd always stare at, confused?"

No. She didn't remember. Nothing.

"That was your mother. She left after... after everything. She didn't--I didn't--"

Rennia shook her head.

"You could have told me years ago. Why now? Why do you have it too?!"

She pointed at the thing under her skirt.

"It's a gift. From the Lady Eros. Our goddess."

Rennia collapsed. Full sobs. Wetting herself as she curled into a ball. Rocking. Silent.

Then she went still.

Seconds passed. Her body twitched. Rage bloomed inside her. Edric. Lyanna. The shame. The guilt. The confusion. The pain.

She stood.

Then lunged.

Ilna didn't hesitate. Her instincts kicked in. She caught Rennia mid-air and slammed her into the wall.

Hard.

Rennia collapsed again. Coughing blood.

"Who even are you?" she gasped.

Ilna knelt. Voice low. Strained.

"A failure. I lied. I tried to protect you. And now I've cursed you too."

"More lies!" Rennia shouted.

"Yes."

"I'm leaving for the capital," her mother said flatly. "I need to check on your sister. Make sure none of this happens to her. I need a new place to lay low."

Lay low? Lay low from what?

Ilna walked towards the edge of the doorway.

"I'm sending you away. To someone who can train you. My old master. Someone who won't pity you. Someone who will teach you how to survive with your new 'problem.'"

Rennia spat on the ground.

"I hate you."

"Good," Ilna said. "Hate me. Just don't become me."

This woman, if you could call her that--this stranger--had lied to her. Her whole life, Rennia knew she could never look at her the same again.

She was her mother, but she was not.

11 -- Goodbyes

Rennia's eyes were puffy. She had cried enough. The walls of her childhood were crumbling to dust, and she wondered why her mother had made such an effort to send her sisters away -- but kept her here, watching, and monitoring.

She needed to see Lyanna before she went. The mystery of her classes and skills could wait. She needed to get things off her chest. Rennia at least needed to confess.

She walked toward the storage room. Though the house was larger than most, there were far too many unused rooms now. It made her uneasy. She grabbed one of her mother's swords from the armory compartment. The weight was familiar; she'd trained with these since an early age. This one was rustic, old, unused. Symbolism -- that was all it was good for. But necessary, in case someone threw another rock at her.

She wasn't taking any chances. Not after what the townsfolk had done.

The guards were still patrolling the street their home sat on. Called it "preemptive protection." She saw surveillance. So many blanks her mother had never filled in, and she didn't have the time or the energy to press for answers.

Out on the streets, she was greeted by the sounds of a town alive. The blacksmith hammering steel nail, shield and horse-shoe. The farmer wrangling his wandering flock -- barking, growling, mooing. Tailors swarmed by giggling girls. Taverns and bars humming with old drunk rotten men. The inn's steps busy, the adventurers' guild wild with chatter, parties young and old seeking thrill and adventure.

She'd see none of it after today. Not here, at least.

Just like any normal day. If only.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Guard Captain Ysara passing a patrol. Unusually, she wore a helmet. Rennia looked down, averting her gaze. She was embarrassed -- and thankful. She hadn't meant to explode in Ysara's mouth. Her body had just reacted. A spasm, a moan, a manic pull -- and she'd collapsed to the ground.

A mistake she'd be paying for.

Ysara probably hated her. And yet, she'd kept her from being flogged all night. Rennia didn't want to face her. She walked on, tight-lipped, two blocks away, heart pounding.

She came to a house attached to a brewery. The smell of alcohol hit her from afar. She stood in front of the door, wondering if the Kettens would drive a pitchfork into her, or try to strongarm her mother into some twisted version of conversion therapy.

She'd just had to be born in a traditionalist town. The capital wasn't like these, there people like Lyanna--no, she needed to kill that thought, she was more than bisexual, she didn't fit in here.

Rennia held her breath. And her heart. Then she knocked three times.

There was a long pause, then footsteps -- heavy ones.

The door unlatched. A pudgy, round-faced woman stuck her head out and scowled.

"Rennia! You! You're not welcome here. Not after how you corrupted my Lya."

Rennia stood agape, concerned. She had nothing but respect for Ms. Ketten. This aggression felt like a family member driving a knife into her back. And if she thought, she had corrupted Lyanna, her mother was wholely out of touch.

"Didn't you hear? Are you dull? She's not coming. She's packing. You'll never see her again. I hope whatever god's watching punishes you for your sickness. Now get lost!"

The door slammed in her face.

Rennia didn't even have time to argue. She nodded to herself, then stepped away. She circled to the back of the building. Lyanna was an adult. They had no right to treat her like this.

Behind the house was a basement window, rusted iron bars keeping intruders out. Inside, she saw her Lya, surrounded by half-empty trunks, old clothes, and the staves she used to wield in the field. Lyanna often used it as a place to study magic, or in quiet, uninterrupted. Rennia had one or two memories that happened here.

Rennia glanced around. A group of guards stood nearby, watching wearily. But they said nothing.

She ducked, pressed her face to the bars, and whispered,"Lyanna!"

"Renny!"

Lyanna's eyes lit up. Almost elated, she ran to the window, dragged a chair over, and climbed up, so their faces were level. She started talking right away. Complaining -- but smiling. Chattering that was her alright, Rennia was glad she wasn't broken.

Though she was hiding something. Rennia could tell.

"They're sending me to the Holy Magician Academy. For a few years."

"What! That's halfway across the country!"

"I know, right? It's all girls. You'd think I'd be happy, but it's basically a religious cult. They want to make me a battle-cleric. Can you believe that? After everything I've done for my parents, they strip me of my agency. I don't even have full rights over myself because of the magical laws and such. I hate it. I should've run away."

Rennia's head sank. "We should have run away."

Too little, too late.

Neither of them was going to see each other anytime soon. Not if the world had anything to say about it.

"That's fucked up," Rennia giggled, brokenly. "I'm being exiled by the village. This is the last time you'll see me here."

"Exile? Isn't that a bit much?"

"It was the best solution... people who cared for me might've stepped in." She didn't count Baldeus among them, but her mother had strongarmed him. Maybe more than that. They were awfully close. And her mother did threaten to blackmail him.

Eh, I honestly don't care. She thought.

"That's fucked up. What about our friends? No one supportive?" Lyanna questioned.

"Everyone in my circle turned away. Except Saelyn. She's... she's been staring at me. A lot." She paused. Realized Saelyn wasn't just staring at her. She was staring at her where her cock would be. "Anyway, I came to say goodbye. I'll find a way to see you, once I can. I promise."

"No. Don't risk, angering the royals. I'll find a way to leave. There's got to be a loophole. Some law I can twist."

"Fucksakes, Lyanna. Fucksakes. This is all my fault. If I hadn't gone running after fucking Edric, none of this would've happened." She wished they hadn't come looking. But... "I'm going to miss you. Some part of me still wants to deny it, but I think I love you. Or rather... I've fallen for you."

"Renny..." Tears ran down Lyanna's cheeks. This was the end.

"You gave me something I always wanted. And more. I'll never forget it."

"Lya," Rennia whispered.

"This was my fault. All of it. I told you to eat Eve's apples. I kissed you first."

"Shh, Lya. Kiss me again."

Rennia brought her face forward -- slow, desperate. Lips parted. Their mouths met through the bars, tongue swirling in a wet, naughty kiss. Maybe their last.

She closed her eyes, savoring the moment. Something twitched deep in her belly.

"Ahem..." a guard coughed beside her. Towering over as she wooed Lyanna. "A caravan has come for you, Ms. Perillion. Your mother asked me to inform you."

Rennia deadpanned. Glared at him like she could cut him open. He walked off without looking back.

She flipped him the bird. "So fucking rude."

Lyanna giggled. Rennia did too. Then too hard.

And then two older figures appeared at the basement door. The Kettens.

They froze at the sight of the girls -- hands still locked through the bars.

"I fucking knew it," Ms. Ketten hissed.

Her husband came with a broom, jabbing it through the bars into Rennia's face.

"OW! OW!"

"Shoo! Shoo! Begone, ye lesbian! Begone!"

"Stop it!" Lyanna yelled. "We're saying goodbye!"

"You've done the deed. Was that not enough?" Mr. Ketten growled.

"Begone, witch!" Ms. Ketten spat.

What a fucking bitch.

The moment had soured. Rennia stood up, waved to the girl -- and even to the Kettens.

"Goodbye, Lyanna."

Lyanna said nothing. Her mother was scolding her, grumbling cruelly. Rennia didn't care to listen.

Her own hell was coming.

She walked back home, hoping the future still held something for her.

12 -- Farewells

Rennia stood watching her home from afar. She knew what was coming. She knew what was going to happen now.

The sword in her waist felt heavier than it should, and it didn't make her feel safe.

She didn't even know where she was going to stay, or what the place looked like. How dangerous it was. How she'd be treated by this "master" of her mother. She feared for her life. People who labeled themselves "master" even in tutorous position made her weary. She really didn't want to deal with a naggy granny.

Perhaps there was still time to run away with Lyanna, though Lyanna seemed to have given up on the idea. Rennia noticed a woman riding alone with the caravan--a large, heavy, tall horse, locked at the saddle. Her face was obscured by a cloak, but everything about her screamed danger. She had parked right across the street from Rennia's home.

Guess that's my ride.

Suddenly, a hand touched her back. A petite elf girl--Saelyn--gave Rennia a calculating stare and smiled.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"Well, my head's still on my shoulders. Why? Why do you care, Saelyn? What do you want? Here to stick your dagger into my pants?"

Saelyn blushed slightly. "Actually, I wouldn't mind if it was the other way around."

Rennia's eyes narrowed. The sexual implication was hard to miss. She knew what Saelyn was getting at--what she wanted. Rennia couldn't give it to her. They known each other for what like a few weeks now?

"You were the least disgusted of the three who found me. Is that what you'd like, Saelyn? This?" She pointed at her groin, where--surprisingly, and much to her own ignorance--a bulge was visible through her clothing. "A dick girl?"

Saelyn held up her hands. Face red. "Calm down, Rennia. I'm here to make peace among our peer group," she said, but her eyes stayed locked on Rennia's bulge. Rennia held her hand over her skirt and raised a brow. She didn't want more sex with this thing. Not now. Probably not ever.

Maybe leaving was the best thing that ever happened to her.

"And yet, only you are here. Where's Kalon, Xoti, Persen, Kalia--hell, where's Edric?"

The elf girl scratched her head. "Edric... uh, yeah. He doesn't want to see you. Like, ever. I'm sorry?"

Rennia's face sagged, her eyes going droopy. "I figured as much. No worries. I'm over him." She sighed, her shoulders pressing inward. "I just wish it didn't cost me everything."

Of course he didn't want to see her. She was an abomination. An affront to purity. A scapegoat for every church's teachings. Hell made manifest. A nightmare. A woman that didn't need him, a woman with a cock.

An awkward silence followed. Of all her peers, Saelyn was the one with the least connection to her--and yet she was the only one who came. Or rather, came to stare at her penis.

Saelyn handed her something from her pocket: a card with lettering inscribed on it.

"It's an magical inscribed telegrapher. Charmed with a spell. Linked back to a place back home. If you need an adventurer or something--or even want to talk--let me know. I'll come running. You just need to write on with ink."

Rennia folded her arms after taking it, reluctantly. "Why do you care all of a sudden?"

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to be blunt. Truth is, I've taken an interest in you." She said it shyly, looking away.

Rennia didn't understand. Elven ways--they could be foreign, xeno, strange. But she understood what this was.

"I know why you want a piece of me. But no. Soon as I find a way, I'm getting rid of it."

Saelyn shrugged. "Sucks. Still, if you ever wanted to fuck--" she leaned forward "--I know how much you got around. So let me know. I'm curious."

That she was.

Rennia turned. "Goodbye, Saelyn."

The elf girl touched her on the shoulder, a little too long. "Where are you going anyway?" she asked.

"To the Selidian Kingdom. The border."

"What?"

Yeah, she was just as surprised.

Rennia stood by the caravan, her belongings packed. She looked back at the sight of Kibblestadt. It was all she really knew. But now it felt cold--like a prison, bigger than it should be.

She spotted Lyanna afar, walking with the clergymen, in the opposite direction. Waving frantically, eyes full of tears. Maybe hunger. Maybe regret. Who knew if they'd ever see each other again?

Rennia waved back.

Her old peers watched from a distance--people she'd bled with for coin and reasons. Kalon, Xoti, Persen, Kalia, Saelyn. They meant nothing now. Just another chapter of her life.

Only Edric was missing, for all the wrong reasons. Her faults.

A few of them waved. Kalon was doing everything to avoid her gaze. She didn't blame him.

"Stupid Eve's apple."

Her mother--her "paternal" mother came out with several backpacks. Rennia gave her a small glance. Behind all that rigid housewife physique was an athlete--muscles she shouldn't have had. And she looked pissed. Rennia was doing everything not to make her more pissed. She hit hard when she was angry.

"Lady Ilna, it's been a long time," the driver addressed her.

Her mother looked unperturbed. "I wouldn't ask you for help if I didn't need it, Tiamael. And please, keep the pleasantries short. I have places to be."

"Typical Ilna. Always brash, rude, or busy. No 'I missed you, Tia.' No 'how's it been, Tia.' No hug?"

"Get on with it. You know where to take her. Hurry up--I want her out of the border before nightfall."

"You're the boss. I'll keep it short, then."

There was an unspoken history between them. Maybe even poetry. Maybe a fiery past beneath the exterior. Rennia didn't have the time to try and make sense of it.

Her mother stuffed one of the backpacks into her chest and locked eyes with her. "I know I'm being unfair. I know I'm being quiet. And I know I'm chasing you away."

Rennia couldn't meet her gaze. "That's the least of it. You're not who I think I thought you were. Mother."

"I know. My master will take care of you. Teach you how to control yourself. Make sure you can fit right in. When the time comes, I'll come find you and explain everything."

Somehow, Rennia didn't believe her. She'd lied about what Rennia was--what else was she hiding?

"Promise." She held up her pinky.

Her mother smiled. "I promise, my little Renny."

Rennia thought of her siblings. It had been a year since they left. "Please. Please. Send something to me. Even a postcard by courier. Maybe from my sisters as well. I haven't seen them in so long. I miss them. I wish I could come with you." She moped.

"Rennia, don't make this hard."

A rock landed inside the open caravan, narrowly missing her. A little midget stood there, shouting.

"Demon! Get lost!"

Rennia's mother lost it. A purple aura surrounded her as she approached the creature. It fled without hesitation.

She always knew her mother had been a high-ranking adventurer before she settled--but what she just did put an insurmountable pressure on Rennia. She could feel it. That power. Radiating.

"I'm surprised you still have that fire in you, Illy," the driver said.

"Don't call me that, Tiamael. Now get lost before I trash your caravan."

"C'mon along then, Rennia!" Tiamael shouted.

Rennia climbed in the back, reluctantly. It smelled like sulfur, gold, and magma. There was no other cargo in the back. She couldn't help but wonder what the fuck this woman was transporting.

"Ahem. Don't mind the smell. I have... unique clients," she said from the front.

Rennia didn't even want to know. There was a cushion, a bed. She wanted sleep. She'd sleep when she couldn't see the town anymore. Or should she? Monsters were always a problem.

Tiamael threw forward her whip, and the carriage steed started moving.

"C'mon, Bexxy, giddy up!"

The horse neighed and started forward. Rennia's mother became smaller and smaller in the distance--but her face stayed ice-cold. Rennia distracted herself checking everything she'd packed. Stored food--at least for another month. Some homemade potions--her mother was a skilled in homebrew alchemy, though she'd never seen her sell them. Must have been something she just picked up.

Clothes that weren't hers were inside, adventurer clothing. Clothes a size too large--but then again, she was larger now.

As they left the gates, more and more townsfolk crowded up. Ysara was there, hair blood-red in the sun. As the caravan passed, Rennia noticed the guard captain looking at her--not with disdain, but with interest.

Her finger was placed on her mouth, as if to say something.

Rennia looked away and called to the front. "Can I put down these curtains?"

"Oh," Tiamael said. "Please do."

As the world to her back closed, Rennia reclined her head on the cushions, waiting as the horse-drawn caravan hobbled and bobbed over rocks and badly paved roads.

Rennia wanted to brood. She'd have watched the scenery, if Kibblestadt wasn't still in view. She was exiled. Humiliated. A cursed thing. And deep inside her was an insatiable craving.

She wanted escape from all of this power. Not to be sent somewhere to be taught how to master something she should never have.

Tiamael got off the saddle, and the horse seemed to carry on its own. She hopped in the back with her.

Rennia's eyes widened. "Shouldn't you be watching him?"

"Don't worry about Bexxy. She's smarter than you, probably."

"Huh?"

The... The hooded woman shook her head, then slowly pulled back her hood.

One thing stood out: silky white hair, dark skin, and reddish eyes that gleamed like rusted embers. Her fingers were long, nails sharp, and her expression was half-lidded and unreadable. Almost hauntingly beautiful. She didn't look a day over forty or fifty--which would've put her in Rennia's mother's age range.

Speaking of Rennia's mother looked just as young as her. Weird. Now that she thought about, just bigger built.

"Sorry for being weird," the woman said, her voice dry but smooth. "I'd like to formally introduce myself."

Rennia nodded, more out of politeness than anything.

"I'm Tiamel of the North. A companion of your mother. Or rather, we were both companions to the Lady I'm taking you to. We used to adventure together."

"I see." Rennia didn't care much. She had just left her story behind--she didn't feel like being dragged into someone else's.

"And you are?"

Did she really have to do this? There was something off about this woman. Something... reptilian. Weird. Her skin had a faint texture to it--almost scaly, now that Rennia looked closer. Maybe a quarter lizardfolk? She was too scared to ask how that might've worked.

"I'm Rennia Perillion," she muttered. "A nobody. I was a level 11 hayseedjack, but now I guess, I'm back to level one because--"

"Because of the knob in your pants!"

The bluntness caught Rennia off guard. Her face tightened.

"I'd know. Ilna had the same problems when she was your age, don't worry she told me everything. Over the orb." Tiamael said.

Embarrasment. Rennia shook, her mother had spoken about her "thing" over a magical voice channel, without inquiry.

"She did?" She replied, to the fact, that her mother seemingly had this predicament at her age. That didn't exactly surprise her, but it did make her feel a little less alone. Like all this was pointing to a hereditary... illness. Or a curse. Or whatever the hell this was.

"Pretty much. Well, can I see it?"

"What?"

"Your cock. Can I see it? I'm curious."

Rennia choked.

13 -- Ride to who knows where

Rennia's face was slouched against her knees as she watched trees, rivers, and mountains go by. Kibblestadt was gone. Her home--out of sight. Never to be seen again, anytime soon at least.

The area they had entered was cold. Very cold. And not just physically--tonally too. Like a major whiplash, it made her feel a range of emotions. It made her wonder if they were near a dungeon. Tiamael would know, but Rennia didn't want to ask her.

A warm blanket covered her, one made by her younger sister. She was a fickle creature in comparison to her and their eldest sibling. Rennia felt too much. Regret, mostly. None of this should've happened. And certain people should've prepared her for this possibility.

The driver lady kept sneaking glances at her. She tried being talkative sporadically, but Rennia couldn't get herself to communicate on the same level.

A bump. The caravan jolted. Her bones rattled, and she shifted away from the wall, annoyed.

This was going to be more than a long ride, wasn't it.

"So, how long have you been adventuring?" Tiamael asked. Her tenth icebreaker.

Rennia perked her head up but didn't answer.

"I get it, okay? You're being sent off to god-knows-where, and you don't wanna talk to the weird stranger driving you to god-knows-who. But come on, you're making me feel bad here. Talk with me, lighten the mood."

Rennia gritted her teeth.

Fine. She supposed there was nothing better to do than talk. A pity, she hadn't stolen one of her sister's books.

"Two years. On and off. Not many dungeons around. Not much reason to delve. Didn't get enough reason or permission to get out. The one time I did break the rules, this shit happened."

Tiamael giggled for no reason. "Strict household? I don't recall Ilna being that uptight."

"Only when it comes to dungeoneering." Rennia stared at the strange-looking woman. "Why do you keep asking stuff? Can't you let me wallow in my own self-pity?"

"Nope. That's how you lose it. Not to mention, the road's lonely. It's not an enjoyable drive if I don't get to talk. My worst customers were the silent ones. The weird, creepy ones. Who almost always ended up in the royal dungeons."

Rennia raised a brow. So she smuggled criminals of a sort. And Rennia was just some small fry. Way to make her feel even more like shit.

"Except I'm not a customer. I'm cargo--cargo with a dick."

"Apparently."

Rennia threw the blanket off and started rummaging in her packed bags. She needed to anchor herself with something before she started bawling for no reason. She was sure there was alcohol somewhere in there--maybe not the strong stuff. Just drinkable alcohol, for emergencies on missions. Almost medical, except with a strong flavor. She needed some right now.

A bottle clinked as she pulled it from the backpack's pouch. It wasn't enough, but it would have to do. She uncorked it and started chugging. Swallowed too much, too quickly, and started coughing, corking the lid back on after.

It was strong indeed. She stood upright, staring at the moving landscape.

"Drinking so early? Oh, you're going to regret that. Trust me. You're asking for motion sickness. But... save me a sip, will you?"

Rennia hummed at the lady.

"Maybe."

Along the road, two passing carriages rolled by. Armed folks, and a fat, pudgy man in the center. These "guards" weren't heavily armored, but the lion insignia on their chests marked them as known mercenary company. The backs of the carriages were stacked with boxes. The guards sat shotgun, weapons ready.

They nodded to her as they passed. The man in the back was particularly handsome. Handsome enough that, if she didn't have a cock, she'd throw herself at him right there on the road. She eyed him, and he eyed her back--a mutual signal. She bit her lip. He smiled at her.

And the moment faded when his companion slapped him on the head.

She giggled. A little lighthearted moment in her darkness.

"Merchants?"

"Yeah. This trail's one of the safest and most common. The royal cavaliers often come this way when they're out on monster excursions."

"Where are they headed? And what do you think they're carrying?"

"Spices. Food. Trade secrets. Who knows?" Tiamael said, then leaned back. It was only now Rennia noticed her properly. She had a butt. Not just a nice ass--but a firm, curvy, sculpted one. Rennia could clearly see it beneath her robe. "As for where they're going? Take a wild guess."

"Kibblestadt," she answered, keeping the conversation going while something else was taking shape.

"Yep. Bet you could get a liftback if you wanted."

It didn't sound that implausible. But there was nothing there for Rennia.

She tried distracting herself. Her cock had started growing stiff. She pulled the blanket over her again, lightly slapped herself in the face, shook her head, and snatched a pear from her rations. Bit into it.

A nice, juicy, thick pear.

No. shit.

She couldn't help it. Tiamael was so firmly focused on the road. No mirrors inside. She wouldn't see--not if Rennia was quick. Not if she looked busy, at least.

Her hand gripped her shaft under the cover. Her urges were rising. Overflowing. That sensation again--like she was possessed. Like Tiamael needed to taste her massive girlcock.

"Fuck," she whispered--too loud.

Tiamael mocked her. "You sure like swearing, don't you, Rennia? Fuck. Titties. Cunts. Assholes and stuff. Right? You like that kind of swearing."

Oh yes. She liked it. She especially liked it.

Rennia stroked as Tiamael's ass shifted in her seat. Swaying with the cart's movement. Every bump in the road made her hips shift side to side. Even her tits from afar, under the robe, were big enough to jiggle.

It wasn't helping.

Rennia looked down under the blanket. She'd pulled the skin back. Her cock had grown two inches from arousal alone, throbbing to every stroke. She didn't wear panties, just a tight pair of pants. She regretted that now. She unfastened them, to give her cock some room.

Then moved, directly facing Tiamael's rear.

And again.

Her hand slipped. Her cock twitched against her palm.

Fuck it. She couldn't stop. No choice now.

She stroked slowly. Just enough to conceal the movement. The cold bit at her cock, but she didn't care. Her tip was damp with precum. Her breath tightened. Just a little bit. A little taste of Tiamael's ass.

Fuck.

A creaking sound made Tiamael shift. Her back arched slightly forward, lifting her ass into the air. Her full curves on display.

Rennia swallowed.

Then sped up. The sound of hand-on-cock friction got louder, barely muffledThen the worst happened. Tiamael looked back at her.

Her eyes locked on the shaft beneath the blanket. No words. Just a weak smile and a tilted head.

Rennia jumped. Yanked her hand away too quickly. The blanket slipped. Her cock still burned.

"Commonly, if you'd catch someone doing that, you'd kick them overboard, "Tiamael said, amused. "Oh, don't worry. You can finish if you'd like, I don't mind."

Rennia said nothing. Curled into a ball. Hid her cock. Squeezed her thighs together. It still throbbed. Still sticky. She hadn't even cum.

Shame was the only thing she felt. She wasn't a nymphomanic, how was she suppsoed to control herself with this curse.

But

holy All-Mother titties, it felt good.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. It's a curse, you know. It's cursed. Me. I'm a cursed thing. I didn't--"

Tiamael raised her hands. "Do you want to finish? I don't mind, really. Ilna explained everything to me. I honestly expected worse."

What.

Her mouth hung open. She'd still have her head on her shoulders. Then she nodded. Still ashamed. Twice as horny, didn't think twice.

Tiamael's skirt lifted, revealing her ass bare and her pussy peeking out below. Rennia stroked under the covers, shamefully.

The driver shook her head. "Nuh-uh. I wanna see it. If you're gonna use my ass, then show me."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Go on!" she shouted.

The caravan didn't stop. Tiamael didn't look away.

Rennia's heart boomed.

She pulled her cock free--half as hard as before. Her face red as a tomato. Her hands twitching in open air. She started stroking. Slow but heavy. Tiamael swayed her ass, never looking away.

Rennia gasped. Her hips started bucking. A sharp moan slipped from her lips--and thick, white liquid shot out from her cock onto the back of the caravan. It kept pulsing. Shameless.

Tiamael watched in silence. Her eyes low. Steady.

Rennia gasped, spine arching as heat surged up her shaft. Her hand sped up. Hips twitching. Then she came with a stifled moan. Thick spurts striping her tunic, her belly, her wrist. It kept pulsing. Raw and shameless.

"Now, don't forget to clean up." Tiamael turned away, said nothing else, and smiled.

Rennia hung her head low. Then perked up in fear. An electrifying wave of sensations tickled her body.

The living system was speaking to her.

[Maiden of Eros level 1] > [Maiden of Eros level 2]

[new skill; Sexual discipline (Passive) Lvl 1] unlocked.]

[Sexual discipline: Get physically and magically stronger when sexually aroused.]

Rennia gawked. Then briefly considered throwing herself out of the back.

"Something seems to have happened right about now. The [Living system], I can feel it pulsing, it spoke to you. Your class is sexually based? If you need to take this a step further, then I won't mind, I haven't had sex in months." Tiamael, commented.

It wasn't uncommon for random adventurers to just fuck on end, but she couldn't. This was a mistake. Her future did not look bright. She ended the conversation immediately.